It is reported that Peter Stutchbury Architects has won the first prize in the 2008 Living Steel international architecture competition. Another Australian firm, Bligh Voller Nield Architecture and Canadian architects RVTR Toronto, received honorable mentions from the jury.

The competition jury said that the winning entry has a very imaginative understanding of the landscape theme and the suggested neighborhood plan provides an incredible play field for children and park like setting for the community".

Architects were asked to create energy efficient, single family detached homes for employees of SeverStal JSC in Cherepovets, Russia. The construction had to minimize greenhouse gas emissions and be able to withstand temperatures ranging from -49C to 39C. The homes also had to be affordable to build and buy.

The 12 finalists in this year's competition were chosen out of 246 proposals from 52 countries. For the first time in the competition's history, the teams were brought together at Helsinki in Finland where they made presentations to the jury.

Chair of the jury, Mr Glenn Mucutt said that "The quality of this year's entries is of a higher standard, the diversity is greater and the commitment to the work is greater. I think this is a consequence of the way Living Steel has conducted the competitions this time, where the teams have been invited here to present their work.”

Mr Murcutt said that “While the jury deliberated, the architects took part in a design charrette on the master plan for the community within which the homes will be sited. The charrette or design workshop, was another first in this edition of the competition. The jury appreciated the interactivity, openness and shared ideas in the new competition format.”

The winning firm receives a EUR 50,000 prize and will begin working with SeverStal and a local Russian architect to define the design for construction in Cherepovets. Living Steel plans to showcase a demonstration building in late 2009.